From Hollywood Hero to Real-Life Protector: How ‘CHiPs’ Star Erik Estrada Became a Crusader Against Child Predators
For millions, Erik Estrada is remembered as Officer Frank Poncherello, the charming and daring highway patrolman from the iconic 1970s series CHiPs. But beyond his star-studded career in television, the 75-year-old actor has stepped into a much darker, more dangerous role—fighting child predators in real life. Estrada’s journey from Hollywood to law enforcement isn’t just a case of life imitating art; it’s a deeply personal mission driven by the horrific realities of child exploitation on the internet.
Estrada’s dream of becoming a real cop began in childhood but became a reality in 2008, when he became a reserve officer for the Muncie Police Department in Indiana. He later took on a deputy sheriff role with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, where he joined the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force. His passion for this work intensified when he realized the shocking extent of online child exploitation. “I got so upset when I saw what I saw because my daughter was 7 at the time,” Estrada revealed in an interview. “It really upset me… and then I got angry.” For eight years, he used his position to help take down child predators, employing a mix of technology and tactical deception to catch offenders before they could harm any more kids.
Today, Estrada works with the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, going undercover and pretending to be a young teenager to lure predators into exposing themselves. “They think they’re talking to Kimmy, 13-and-a-half [years-old],” he explained, detailing how he entraps criminals. Once the predators cross a legal line, they’re taken down. The irony of his real-life police work isn’t lost on Estrada, who once played a fictional cop on screen but now risks his safety in real life to protect vulnerable children. Estrada’s passion for law enforcement was sparked as a young child when his mother dated a police officer, inspiring him to one day wear the badge for real. And even though he’s still active in the entertainment world, hosting the faith-based reality show Divine Renovation, it’s his role as a real-life protector that he holds most dear.
